Foremost human rights organisation, One Love Foundation has once again alongside a 2020 #EndSARS panel member in Edo State, Miss Precious Oruche dragged the Federal Government to the ECOWAS Court to checkmate and restrain the police from any other further victimization and operating check pionts/illegal road blocks in Nigeria.
In a suit made available to Jungle-Journalist.Com, and lodged before the ECOWAS Court on 30th December 2022, the duo are seeking for reliefs and prayed the Court to award members of their organisation and further reparation in damages in the sum of $500,000 only, to everyone victimized on Nigerian roads by the Nigerian police.
As we may recall, sometime ago in a viral video making the rounds on social media, a certain Precious Oruche, member of the 2020 Edo State #EndSARS panel on police brutality, was seen recording in a viral video, reprimanding the police patrol team of Mabushi Police Station, Abuja under the FCT Nigeria Police Command ,to refrain from acts of illegal checking of her car spare tyres, pigeon holes and other issues not convered and not defined as functions of police under the Nigeria Police Act 2021.
In the said viral video, the police patrol team of Mabushi Police Station were seen threatening to shoot, assault and maim Precious Oruche
Furthermore, the DPO of FCT Mabushi Police Station in concert with the DCO of FCT Mabushi Police Station, and a certain supritendent of police,SP Busari all jointly of Nigeria Police Force, in a very questionable manner leveled non existing allegations of obstructing police officers, offering police officers bribe, and other allegations on Oruche, then on the 11th August 2022, charged her to the FCT Area Court on all the above sundry offences, which court has no jurisdiction in that regard, in order to victimise her for her advocacy and speaking out.
From eye witness report, this act was done cover up for the viral video, where the police officers violated the fundamental human rights of Oruche.
Court proceedings as monitored by concerned civil society members and activists have it that Miss Oruche, legally represented in FCT area court by Abuja based human rights lawyer, Samuel Ihensekhien Jnr, was granted bail on very liberal terms and the charges later terminated and precious Oruche acquitted by the FCT area court in a later proceedings on 15th December 2022.
Speaking further on this, she stated that after she refused to debunk and post another telephone recorded video to water down the effects of the viral video of the Mabushi Police Patrol team of Nigeria police force assaults on her. The then DPO of mabushi police station, one CSP Abdulmumuni Musa Abubakar and Supretendent Busari with some other police officers in vengeance/retaliation of the viral phone video recording, actually charged her to court in this regard.
She urged Nigerians to keep reporting acts of brutality by police officers, inspite of negative circumstances that always follow same.
Speaking on the matter, human rights activist, Chief Dr Patrick Eholor who was present in court, noted that the Nigeria Police and their officers have not learnt their lessons, that police brutality cannot survive with the awareness of Nigerians on their core fundamental rights. He further stated that the case is to seek for reparation and checkmate exhortionist moves by security agencies and the police on Nigeria highways and on the road.
He also said it is to seek interpretation by ECOWAS Court, whether road blocks itself is not illegal. Chief Patrick Eholor also said that under the Nigerian Law of Taxes and Levies Act, Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004 Section 2 (2) disallows any person, including respondent police officers and agents from mounting a road block in any part of the federation for the purposes of collecting any tax/levy or exhortions, so he then wonders why security personnel exhorts innocent Nigerians and hapless citizens on Nigeria roads, including periodic violations of every Nigeria rights, who wears dreadlocks, tattoos, expressive hair cuts, and hence by this suit lodged at ECOWAS Court, a stop will be put to all the above.
A glimpse of the suit filed above, have the following reliefs:
1. A DECLARATION that arrest of the Applicant by the armed agents of the Respondent at FCT – Abuja for non criminal offence on 10th august to 11 august 2022 is illegal as it violates the human right of the Applicant to the dignity of the human person guaranteed by Article 5 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights and Articles 4 and 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2.A DECLARATION that the violation of all the recognized fundamental human rights of the 1st and 2nd applicants as summarized in this case is illegal as it violate the presumption of innocence guaranteed by Articles 7 (1) (b) and (2) of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights and Articles 7 and 8 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
3.A DECLARATION that the acts of the 1st and 2nd applicants in respect of all violations of this 1st and 2nd applicants right is illegal and injurious to lack of the dignity of the human person guaranteed by Article 5 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights and Articles 4 and 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
4.A DECLARATION that the arrest and detention of the 1st Applicant by the armed agents of the Respondent without access to his Attorney from 10th august 2022 to 11th august 2022 is illegal as it violates the human right of the Applicant to legal representation guaranteed by Article 5 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights and Articles 4 and 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
5.A DECLARATION of this court for the stopping to halt, banning and proscription of all road blocks by the respondent police officers and agents, which is not subject of any criminal investigation activities as same constitutes violation of the right to freedom of movements of the 1st to 2nd applicants and all citizens of Nigeria and members of the 3rd applicants.
6. An ORDER of this Honourable Court directing the Respondent to pay over to the 1st and 2nd Applicant the sum of $500, 000. 00 (Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) only as aggravated and general damages for the violation of 2nd and 1st Applicant’s and 3rd members right to liberty, freedom of movement, private and family life, dignity of person, health, legal representation by the armed agents of the Respondent.
7.AN ORDER of this Honourable Court directing the Respondent to pay over to the 1st and 2nd Applicant the sum of $1000. 00 (One Thousand Dollars) only as cost of prosecuting this suit.
8. And any other Order or Orders this Community Court of Justice might make in the circumstance of this case.
As at press time on 30th December 2022, this suit filed and lodged before the ECOWAS Court, Abuja, filed alongside a fast track application for interim reliefs, has not been given a date for hearing and determination.